Manhole and cover for the same.



J. S. WOLF.

MANHOLE ANDCOVEH FOR THE SAME.

APPLIcAloN FILED DEQ. x9` 1914.

1,163,189. Patented 11%.?,1915

Witnesse: Invefetanlike.

Jenn s. WOLF, or Yoivirnias, NEW YORK.

IVIANHOLE AND` COVER FOB, THE SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.

i p Patented Dec. 7, 1915.

Application led December 19, 1914. Serial No. 878,025.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that 1, .loi-IN S. WOLF, a citizen of the United States,residing in Yonkers, in the county of lVestchester and State of NewYork, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inManholes andCovers for the Same, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to manholes and covers for the same.

lith the form of manhole covers heretofore in use, vthe formation ofthick layers of ice onthey inner covers during the winter in thev moresevere climates, has greatly hampered the removal or opening of thesecovers, the removal of which covers in some `cases was entirelyimpossible without destroyingthe cover to a material extent.

The main object of this invention is to provide such a construction ofinner and outer covers which cooperate with one another to prevent theformation of thick layers of ice on the inner cover in cold weather, atleast to preserve the opening means for the cover unencumbered fromforeign materialsuch as ice, dust, dirt, earth or the To this end, anarrangement is provided for forming air chambers which will prevent theadmission of water to the upper' surface of theinner cover, or at leastto prevent such a level of water forming upon the upper surface of theinner cover as 'would yinterfere with the closing means of the innercover. 1

Another object of the invention is to provide an inner cover arrangementhaving a locking bar secured onthe inside of the inner cover.

These and other features, capabilities and advantages of the Yinventionwill appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specilicembodiment thereof illustrated vin the accompanying drawings in which-Figure 1 is a transverse section of the manhole with the inner and outercoversin closed position. Fig. 2 isa plan view of the same with theouter cover removed and drawn on a slightly smaller scale than Fig. 1.lFig. 3 is a perspective view of the outer cover showing the lowersurface thereof. Fig. Llis a fragmental detail showing one oftlieilocking recessesl for the lockingbar of theinner plate. Fig. 5 isaA fragmental diagrammatic view showing the formation `form a tightjoint at such place.

of the air chamber producedfor preserving thelocking portions of theinner cover from ice and the like.

1n the embodiment shown, there is provided a frame 1 having a base 2, acircular y3, there is fcrmedan annular bead 5 which projects beyond thelower face of the base 2. The inside of the wall 3 is provided with anannular inwardly extending offset portion 6 which is provided at itsupper end withan annular inwardly extending bead 7. At the upperend ofthe inside of the wall 3 there is formed an annular recess or rabbet 30;

In the offsetportion 6, there are formed tworecesses r8, 8 one locateddiametrically opposite the other, each (see Fig. 4) having a rverticalchannel9 beginning at the lower end of the oifset portion 6 and ahorizontal Achannel 10 in communication with such vertical channelQ.Into these recesses 8 the opposite ends 13, 13 of the locking bar 11 arepositioned forlocking the inner cover 12 in place which end portions13-are preferably comparatively thin and adapted to beguidedinto'tlie-recesses S. jFrom the end portion 13, ther bar 11 enlargestoward its central portion where it is provided with anopening 14:internally screw-threaded.

The inner or close fitting cover 12 is saucer-shaped having an upwardlyfacing concave surface 15, an annular bead 16 onv thelower surface ofsuch cover 12 spaced a the upper edge of the olfset portiony 6 to t aThe cover 12 is provided with an opening-19 at its center having arecedingshoulder 20 around its upper end to accommodate the head21- ofa` locking screw 22 which passes through the opening 19 and then screwsinto the opening 141 in the locking bar 11 by means of which the innerplate12 is locked in position. The

screw 22 is provided on its head k21 with a v lug 23 having a largeorifice 24 thereinfor the insertion of ay tool for turning saidy screw,and also having small orifices 25. Alongside of' thefopening 19 on theupper face 15 of the cover 12 there is providedy a lug 26 having a smallorifice 27 which is adapted to have a wire pass through it and throughone of the orifices 25 of the lug 23 which may be adjacent to it, towhich wire a seal may be secured. The upper surface 15 of the cover 12Fig. `2 nearer its outer periphery is provided with ears 28 to serve asengaging means for a tool used for removing said cover 12. rlhere isalso provided in the upper surface 15 of the cover 12 an annular rim 29concentric with the opening 19 and substantially disposed mediallybetween the outer periphery of such cover 12 and its center.

Resting on the annular rabbet 30 there is positioned the outer orprotective .cover 31 whose upper surface may be ribbed as shown, andwhose inner surface is provided with two annular rims, an outer rim 32'of comparatively low altitude and an inner rim 33 of high altitude,both rims substantially concentric with the center of the cover 31, theinner rim 33 having outwardly extending ribs 3/1 for the purpose ofreinforcement as shown in Fig. 3. Vhen the outer cover is placed inclosing position the inner rim 33 will be disposed inside of the rim 29of the inner cover 12. Thus in the use of the device,-should water creepin under the outer cover 31 this would first be prevented by the vrim29, acting as a baffle, from approaching the locking screw 22 and shouldcold weather have set in, then as shown in Fig. 5, the water would notbe permitted to rise above the level in which the lower edge of the rim32 is disposed which level is below the level in which the upper edge ofthe rim 29 is disposed at which level the water might freeze and sinceno more water could flow rims 2 9 and 32, the' locking means would bekept free to be manipulated. However, should this first protective coverbe in any kway impaired and the water be permitted to flow beyond therim 32, then a like air cushion would be formed above the watercollected inside of the rim 33 as soon as the level of the waterrosevabove the level of the lower edge of the rim 33 and thus if anywater did flow around the locking screw 22 only a comparatively thinlayer of ice would there be formed. v

Itis obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in thevdetails of construction without departing from the general spirit of theinvention.

I claim:

1. In combination with a manhole having a frame, a cover for saidmanhole, a locking bar'for locking said cover in place and disposed onthe inner side of said cover, locking means for locking said cover tosaid locking bar, and a water-seal air-chamber forming means forprohibiting the collection of a high level of water around said lockingmeans.

2. In combination with a manhole having a frame, an inner close fittingcover disposed in said frame, an outer protective cover disposed on saidframe above said inner cover, locking means for locking said inner coverin position and disposed centrally of said inner cover, said inner coverhaving a concave upper surface, and an annular rim of high altitudedisposed on the lower surface of said outer cover and surrounding saidloclring means, said annular rim cooperating with the concave surface ofsaid inner cover to form an air chamber to prevent the collection of ahigh level of water above said locking means.

3. In combination with a manhole having a frame, an inner close fittingcover disposed in said frame, an outer protective cover disposed on saidframe above said inner cover, locking means for locking said inner coverin position and disposed centrally of said inner cover, said inner coverhaving a concave uppersurface, and an annular rim on the lower surfaceof said outer cover and extending into close proximity to the uppersurface of said inner cover and surrounding said locking means, saidannular rim cooperating with the concave surface ofrsaid inner cover toform an air chamber for preventing the collection of a high level ofwater above said locking means.

4. In combination with a manhole having a frame, an inner close fittingcover disposed in said frame, an outer protective cover disposed on saidframe above said inner cover, locking means for locking said inner coverin position and disposedcentrally of said innerl cover, the uppersurface of said inner cover being concave to coperate with Saidprotective cover ultimately to prevent the collection of a high level ofwater around said locking means, and an annular rim disposed on theupper surface of said inner cover to serve as a baffle initially toprevent the collection of water around said locking means.

5. In combination with a manhole having a frame, an inner close fittingcover disposed in said frame, an outer protective cover disposed on saidframe above said inner cover, and locking means for locking said innercover in position and disposed centrally of said inner cover, thel uppersurface of said inner cover being concave to cooperate with saidprotective cover ultimately to prevent the collection of a high level ofwater around said locking means.

6. In combination with a manhole having a frame, an inner close fittingcover disposed in said frame, an outer protective cover disposed on saidframe above. said inner cover, locking means for locking said innercover in position and disposed centrally of said inner cover, said innercover having a concave upper surface, an annular rim disposed on theupper surface of said inner cover surrounding said locking means toinitially prevent the collection of water around said locking means, anda second annular rim on the lower surface of the outer cover outside ofthe rim on said inner cover, which two rims cooperate with the concavesurface of said inner cover to form an air chamber to ultimately preventthe collection of a high level of water around said locking means.

7. In combination with a manhole having a frame, an inner close fittingcover disposed in said frame, an outer protective cover disposed on saidframe above said inner cove-r, locking means for locking said innercover in position and disposed centrally 'of said inner cover, saidinner cover having a concave upper surface, a high annular rim disposedon the lower surface of said outer cover surrounding said locking means,and coperating with the concave surface of said inner cover to form anair chamber whereby to prevent the collection of a high level of waterabove said locking means, a low annular rim on the lower surface of theouter cover outside of said high annular rim, and an annular rim yon theupper surface of said inner cover and disposed between the two annularrims on said outer cover, the annular rim on said inner cover and thelow annular rim on said outer cover cooperating with the concave upperJOHN S. WOLF.

Vitnesses:

GUs'rAv DRnWs, H. D. PENNEY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

i Washington, D. C.

